Gregory Gallopoulos wrote an interesting article on the effects of BlackBerry culture on the Law profession. He has a very interesting take on what always on email has done to busy professionals which I feel is not limited only to Lawyers. The most interesting quote I found was:
In our BlackBerry culture, a day late is, by definition, a dollar short. More and more clients seem to expect a response to an e-mail or a voicemail within an hour. Twenty-four/seven availability is assumed, and many view turning the BlackBerry off, even during religious observances, weddings and funerals, as professional sacrilege.
I agree with Gregory that we have become so addicted to our BlackBerry devices that 24/7 access is almost a necessity of business. This really throws a curve ball at any balance you can have between work and your personal life. I have found myself struggling against this current many times. The urge to check my email on my BlackBerry first thing in the morning is irresistible. I can no longer really remember what it was like to not have internet and email always on me. The last time I felt this way was when I took a cruise a few months back with no phone access. I had a feeling of pure bliss but felt like I was missing something the whole time. Check out the full article on Law.com.
